Democrats should embrace uranium mining
By Rod Adams and Andrea Jennetta
We’re not sure when nuclear energy became a litmus test for political identification in the U.S. But we do know that it is high time Democrats embraced nuclear energy — and supported mining the uranium that fuels it — because nuclear energy can address many of the basic concerns that have shaped our liberalism.
Above everything else, Democrats value people. Are passionate about people. Not corporations. Not profits. But people, in all their glorious diversity. Democrats believe that the average middle-class American deserves a decent job with living wages, access to health care and a solid education, to marry the person they fall in love with and a safe environment in which to live and prosper.
Adams publishes Atomic Insights on the web, is a former nuclear submarine engineer officer and works as an engineer/analyst for B&W mPower Inc. in Lynchburg. Opinions expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Babcock & Wilcox Company. Jennetta is the owner and president of International Nuclear Associates Inc., publisher of Fuel Cycle Week, based in Washington, D.C.
January 13, 2013 - 7:50 AM
First off ~ We have 2 nuclear power stations with 2 reactors each. Not 4 nuclear power stations. Also worth mentioning, the 5.8 earth quake exceeded the design basis of the North Anna plant. Both North Anna(http://www.timesdispatch.com/business/elevated-radioactivity-levels-found-in-north-anna-well/article_6bd5b666-c2df-5b9d-869a-13e09db78e98.html) and Surry (http://nucpros.com/content/surry-offsite-notification-due-tritium-overflow)reported radioactiive tritium leaks last year and Dominion filed for a exemption when they incorrectly loaded spent fuel at North Anna. https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/04/24/2012-9803/virginia-electric-and-power-company-north-anna-power-station-units-1-and-2-independent-spent-fuel
We have had over 450 aftershocks and the USGS reported landslides 150 miles away ~ http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3447&from=rss_home
This is NOT an republican or democrat issue.
It’s an energy issue and if Virginia wants to become a radioactive waste dump! A toxic legacy our future generations would have to watch over, worry about or worse have to deal with an contamination scenario.
In other areas of the world where uranium mining takes place there are NO farms near by. I think Virginia’s agriculture is way more important.
We need to move toward safe renewable energy to protect our air, water and food supply. Nuclear energy is toxic,dangerous and expensive.
Look what Japan is dealing with….It’s just NOT worth it!
Really? Clean energy? how backwards. This is NOT a democratic or Republican issue… its a money issue. A greed issue. One that is being pushed on the people of Pittsylvania County because the uranium happens to be there and it happens to be as far away from D.C. as you can get. Clean energy? How is 29 MILLION TONS of RADIOACTIVE WASTE Clean? How is using 300,000 gallons of clean water a day (our most precious resource) for the duration of 30 years to mill a volatile substance efficient or “Green?” You’re a democrat and you care about people? Then you should put yourself in the shoes of the PEOPLE living around this mine and their children who will be growing up in its shadow. You drink the water, you breathe the air.
The proponents of uranium mining assume that we’re going to be okay with it as long as we can be reassured that only poor people in nameless rural areas will end up drinking radioactive waste.
Wow, whatever happened to the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Just ran into a friend down at the store in Chatham that lives right next to Coles Hill. He was sick with worry, his family farm would be unlivable and unsellable should this pass. Now we know what it feels like to live in a third world dictatorship, if the money grubbers decide to take or devalue your land, you have no recourse. Stripped of their farms and homes, where will the refugees from Chatham go to wash their clothes or house their children. This will uproot and destroy more families than the 300 jobs in the mine will sustain.
I would hope those that get employment with VUI should be forced to buy the homes next to the mine, but they will probably want to house their families in the somewhat distant Danville. Democrats endorsing this should have such a toxic industry placed in their district, perhaps this is the impetus VA needs to break free from the industry financed two party system which only serves the highest bidder.